Lasith Malinga shows why he’s considered the best death bowler in the world as he gets Brad Hodge trapped boot before wicket with a lethal yorker. New man Kevon Cooper is beaten by another yorker, but spanks the next one over wide long-off for maximum. Malinga persists as he fires in another toe crusher and Cooper can’t do anything. Malinga finishes it off in style as the Royals fall short by 14 runs.

Mumbai win by 14 runs.

RR: 144/6 | Overs 19 | Binny 37*, Hodge 39*

Brad Hodge brings up the fifty of the partnership by spanking Dhawal Kulkarni’s full toss to the deep point fence. He almost gets another one straight down the ground, but for some good work at the rope by Harbhajan Singh. Ten runs come from the over.

Rajasthan need 23 runs from 6 balls.

RR: 134/6 | Overs 18 | Binny 36*, Hodge 30*

Lasith Malinga bowls a superb over, cinceding just five runs, which is priceless at this stage. Mumbai still are in the driver’s seat here and it’s theirs to lose.

Rajasthan need 33 runs from 12 balls.

RR: 129/6 | Overs 17 | Binny 34*, Hodge 27*

Mitch Johnson calms some nerves in the Wankhede crowd with a brilliant over, apart from a French cut that beat everyone and went for four.

Rajasthan need 38 runs from 18 balls.

RR: 122/6 | Overs 16 | Binny 32*, Hodge 23*

Brad Hodge hasn’t given up! He’s hit Pragyan Ojha for four boundaries and is even given an extra life by Mumbai. Ambati Rayudu looks to have caught Brad Hodge at deep mid-wicket, but the ball pops out of his hands and goes for four. Is there a turnaround possible here? Hodge and Binny seem up for it!

Rajasthan need 45 runs from 24 balls.

RR: 106/6 | Overs 15 | Binny 32*, Hodge 7*

Lasith Malinga comes back into the attack and the Royals manage eight runs from the over. They need two a ball from now.

Rajasthan need 61 runs from 30 balls.

RR: 98/6 | Overs 14 | Binny 31*, Hodge 1*

Pragyan Ojha spoils a good over with a loose last ball which is swept for four by Stuart Binny.

Rajasthan need 69 runs from 36 balls.

RR: 92/6 | Overs 13 | Binny 26*, Hodge 0* OUT! Yagnik 10(14)

Dishant Yagnik cuts Harbhajan Singh past point for four off the first ball of the over. The fielder at point should have done better to stop that. However, Bhajji has his man soon enough as Yagnik gives him the charge but completely misses the ball and is bowled.

RR: 82/5 | Overs 12 | Binny 26*, Yagnik 4*

Stuart Binny gives Pragyan Ojha the charge as he lofts him over long-off for six, before cutting magnificently for a boundary.

RR: 69/5 | Overs 11 | Binny 15*, Yagnik 3*

Stuart Binny ruins Harbhajan Singh’s over with a reverse sweep that finds the top edge but manages to clear short fine-leg and run down for four.

RR: 60/5 | Overs 10 | Binny 8*, Yagnik 1*OUT! Watson 19(16)

Pragyan Ojha comes into the attack and gets a wicket straight away — a huge one! Shane Watson looks to loft the bowler over the sightscreen but finds the bottom of the blade and gives Kieron Pollard an easy catch. To rub it in, Pollard goes and fields at long-on which is right in front of the Rajasthan dugout, and the two exchange words again!

RR: 58/4 | Overs 9 | Watson 19*, Binny 7*

Harbhajan Singh concedes five wides after the ball spins viciously and beats Dinesh Karthik behind the sticks. Spoils an otherwise good over from the off-spinner. The first Strategic Timeout is taken.

RR: 47/4 | Overs 8 | Watson 17*, Binny 3*

Lasith Malinga comes into the attack and bowls a decent over upto the fourth ball, before Shane Watson makes use of two short-pitched deliveries and pulls them hard over deep squareleg for six.

RR: 32/4 | Overs 7 | Watson 4*, Binny 1*

Harbhajan Singh comes into the attack and bowls a good over, conceding just three runs as the pressure continues to build on Rajasthan.

RR: 29/4 | Overs 6 | Watson 3*, Binny 0*OUT! Rahane 4(8)

Ajinkya Rahane skies Dhawal Kulkarni miles in the air but only upto Lasith Malinga at mid-off. The Royals continue to slide down the pit! Mumbai in total control here.

RR: 27/3 | Overs 5 | Rahane 4*, Watson 0*OUT! Samson 4(4)

Sanju Samson exquisitely drives Mitch Johnson wide of point for a boundary. Such elegance from the 18-year-old. However, Samson pours water over all the praise as he mistimes a pull and gets another leading edge straight to mid-off. The Royals are in some trouble! Meanwhile, some words are exchanged between Kieron Pollard and new batsman Shane Watson. The umpires have a word with Pollard and his skipper Rohit Sharma.

RR: 22/2 | Overs 4 | Rahane 4*, Samson 0*OUT! Faulkner 12(13)

James Faulkner looks to hook Dhawal Kulkarni’s short-pitched delivery, but gets the leading edge that goes high above the point area, as Glenn Maxwell calls for it and takes the catch.

RR: 18/1 | Overs 3 | Rahane 0*, Faulkner 11*

James Faulkner uppishly drives Mitchell Johnson through the packed off-side field and finds the gap, as the ball runs over to the fence for four.

RR: 11/1 | Overs 2 | Rahane 0*, Faulkner 5*

James Faulkner’s outside edge goes sailing over the slips for four off the bowling of Dhawal Kulkarni.

RR: 5/1 | Overs 1 | Rahane 0*, Faulkner 0*OUT! Dravid 4(5)

Rahul Dravid flicks Mitchell Johnson off his pads for four after the Australian strayed down the leg. You cannot do that to a man of his class! However, Johnson has his man in the same over after getting a faint nick off an attempted pull. Dravid wasn’t happy with the decision and had a few words to say to someone, either one of the players or the umpire. There go a few Fairplay points.

MI: 166/8 | Overs 20 | Harbhajan 15*OUT! Johnson 2(7), Malinga 0(0)

Mitchell Johnson tries a cheeky flick over fine-leg countryman off James Faulkner, but can only find the fielder stationed in the circle. Mumbai manage to get just six runs in the final over.

MI: 162/6 | Overs 19 | Harbhajan 13*, Johnson 1*

Harbhajan Singh ruins Kevon Cooper’s over with a mistimed hit that goes for six! Bhajji went for the pull, but got the top edge that sailed over deep point boundary.

MI: 155/6 | Overs 17 | Harbhajan 7*, Johnson 0*OUT! Rayudu 7(7)

Ambati Rayudu swings and looks to clear deep mid-wicket, but the ball drops inches short of the boundary and into Sanju Samson’s hands to give the Royals another wicket. This is not the ending Mumbai would have hoped for.

MI: 147/5 | Overs 17 | Rayudu 4*, Harbhajan 2*OUT! Pollard 17(14)

Kieron Pollarg is run out! The Trinidadian first gets a leading edge that drops just short of bowler Kevon Cooper and looks to steal a run. Cooper picks up the ball and takes a shy at the stumps, and hits bull eye! Pollard was dawdling to the crease, not expecting a throw and is miles short. Big wicket for the Royals!

MI: 139/4 | Overs 16 | Pollard 14*, Rayudu 1*OUT! R Sharma 14(9)

Rohit Sharma spanks James Faulkner for four through the covers. Freed his arms and bam! However, Faulkner has the last laugh after a mistiming a swing over square-leg that goes straight down Shane Watson’s throat.

MI: 132/3 | Overs 15 | R Sharma 10*, Pollard 14*

Kieron Pollard pulls Shane Watson to the deep mid-wicket fence for a boundary to spoil an otherwise good over. How many will Mumbai get off the last five? 200 possible? Should be if Pollard sticks.

MI: 123/3 | Overs 14 | R Sharma 8*, Pollard 8*

Rohit Sharma guides a short and wide delivery from Tambe to deep point for four before Kieron Pollard picks up from where he left off the other night with a mighty straight drive that goes sailing into the second tier. Massive!

MI: 110/3 | Overs 13 | R Sharma 0*, Pollard 0*OUT! Tare 59(37)

Aditya Tare tries to slice Kevon Cooper over cover, but manages to reach only Shane Watson to end a fantastic innings.

MI: 105/2 | Overs 12 | Tare 57*, R Sharma 0*OUT! D Karthik 21(21)

Dinesh Karthik sweeps Pravin Tambe for four to the deep square-leg fence, before a similar shot is hit straight to Sanju Samson at deep mid-wicket. Dishant Yagnik then fails to collect a ball that spun a mile and beat the advancing Tare’s bat as a stumping opportunity goes begging.

MI: 94/1 | Overs 11 | Tare 51*, D Karthik 16*

Aditya Tare is determined to make this his night as he elegantly drives James Faulkner wide of long-off for four. Rahul Dravid brings the long-off fielder into the circle, and Tare responds by driving the ball over him for four more. Tare brings up his fifty in the over as well. It’s been a fantastic knock from the youngster! Here is an interview I did with him a couple of months back.

MI: 81/1 | Overs 10 | Tare 39*, D Karthik 15*

Dinesh Karthik makes room for himself and sweeps Pravin Tambe over short fine-leg for a boundary to provide the only action of the 10th over. Mumbai will be pleased with their position at the halfway stage.

MI: 73/1 | Overs 9 | Tare 36*, D Karthik 10*

Aditya Tare makes use of a full toss from Kevon Cooper and sweep-flicks it away for a boundary. He’s oozing confidence right now.

MI: 66/1 | Overs 8 | Tare 31*, D Karthik 8*

Tweaker Pravin Tambe comes in and calms things down for the Royals as we take the first Strategic Timeout at the end of the seventh over.

MI: 60/1 | Overs 7 | Tare 28*, D Karthik 6*

Aditya Tare places Stuart Binny brilliantly wide of long-ff to get another boundary, before bisecting the men placed at deep mid-wicket and long-on for four more. Crunching shots, those! The lad’s looking good on his return to IPL after three years. Rahul Dravid then gives him a lifeline after dropping what should have been an easy catch at mid-wicket.

MI: 49/1 | Overs 6 | Tare 19*, D Karthik 4*

Dinesh Karthik drives Shane Watson past mid-off for his first boundary. DK will be key here for Mumbai in the absence of Dwayne Smith and Sachin Tendulkar. Aditya Tare then says, “I’m here too,” as he spanks Watson over long-on for six. Mumbai will be pleased with this start, despite Maxwell’s wicket.

MI: 35/1 | Overs 5 | Tare 11*, D Karthik 0*

Aditya Tare finally gets going as he sweeps his Mumbai Ranji teammate Ankeet Chavan for two boundaries in a row.

MI: 27/1 | Overs 4 | Tare 3*, D Karthik 0*OUT! Maxwell 23(17)

Rajasthan Royals’ Mr Reliable, Shane Watson, is brought into the attack and the Australian responds immediately as he traps Glenn Maxwell in front. Maxwell isn’t happy with the decision, and the replays show that there might have been an inside-edge. There were definitely two sounds there.

MI: 25/0 | Overs 3 | Maxwell 23* Tare 2*

It looks as if Glenn Maxwell wants to prove why he is worth a million dollars as he lofts Ankeet Chavan over dep mid-wicket and then over long on for a couple more maximums. This is turning out to be a good start for Mumbai.

MI: 10/0 | Overs 2 | Maxwell 8* Tare 2*

James Faulkner beat Maxwell’s bat on more than one occassion. One bad ball (a full toss) was dispatched over long-on for a six. Maxwell attemps a pull off the last ball but the third-man failed to catch the ball courtesy of a top-edge.

MI: 2/0 | Overs 1 | Maxwell 1* Tare 1*

Ankeet Chavan bowls a two-run first over for Rajasthan Royals. Maxwell tried an impetuous shot off the last ball of the over: a reverse sweep. A good start for Royals at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai: May 15, 2013

Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bowl against Mumbai Indians in their important IPL 2013 match at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.

The big news from the middle is that Sachin Tendulkar will be missing the game due to an injury in hand. Wicketkeeper-batsman Aditya Tare comes in for the little master, while Glenn Maxwell also gets a second game in place of Dwayne Smith.